


It's My Legend of Korra and I'll Write It How I Want To

by tenthousandbees



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, airbender pema
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:29:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27565315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenthousandbees/pseuds/tenthousandbees
Summary: Rewrite of LOK starting from Book 1. I'll add tags as I write! Updating pretty frequently for now. Korrasami is endgame.Korra has lived in a compound in the  Southern Water Tribe her entire life. When she decides to run away to continue her airbending training with Master Pema, she finds that Republic City is more than she bargained for.
Kudos: 8





	1. Prologue

A small village of the Southern Water Tribe. A small dwelling, its imperfections made suddenly and mortifyingly clear to the harried parents standing with brooms in hand opposite the impassive delegation. Impassive, but for the placidly smiling old woman wearing Water Tribe clothing in the middle. She was flanked by men in modern uniforms, who looked down their noses at the two parents and their belongings that at this point were all singed, soggy, covered in dirt, or some unholy combination of the three. The mother, Senna, tried to unobtrusively put her hands behind her back to hide the still-smoking hem of her sleeve.

“Thank you for honoring us with your presence,” the father, Tonraq, managed, with an air of regality despite it all.

“We have investigated many claims in the Southern Water Tribe, as has the Northern delegation. All have proven to be false.” The speaker, one of the men, was winning the contest of who could look the most contemptuous by a huge margin.

“You know, I grew up in a small village much like this, here in the Southern Water Tribe.” This was the old woman. Senna and Tonraq smiled gratefully at her.

“Of course, that was before the Fire Nation invaded and murdered my mother and most of my village.” The old woman smiled beatifically as if this was a reassuring statement. Senna and Tonraq’s smiles began to look a little strained. It was time to end the pleasantries.

“Well,” Senna began bravely, “You should all be happy to report that your search has come to an end.”

“What makes you so sure that your daughter is _the one?_ ” Most-Contemptuous Guard sneered.

“Korra! Please come in here!” called Senna. She and Tonraq immediately leaped back into defensive positions. A slab of earth slammed into the wall opposite, where the parents had been standing moments before.

A girl stood in the wreckage, proudly destructive, profoundly powerful, and six years old.

“I’m the Avatar, and you gotta deal with it!” She roundhouse kicked, sending an arc of fire into the room that dissipated before reaching the delegation, though the men flinched back all the same. She lifted a square of earth from the ground, sending it smashing into the ceiling. Senna and Tonraq looked up in dismay at the new damage. The girl pulled a small stream of water from a puddle on the ground, and with practiced but still-clumsy waterbending technique, shot the stream of water at the delegation. The old woman, with the grace of years of waterbending, intercepted the attack and spun the water around her and neatly into a jug sitting on the ground.

“She’s strong,” said Katara, with the smug assurance of an old woman who is about to see some ass-kicking.


	2. Into The World

Korra charged at the three firebenders, fire in her fists, ass-kicking in her heart. They stood their ground and met her with synchronized blasts. Three against one. It was pathetic, really. She easily dispersed their combined flames and, still charging, punched, fist and flame. She caught one in the chest, but his protective armor absorbed the heat as he spun out of position- and he was back. Now he would try and draw her out while the others attacked from the sides. They exchanged blows, which Korra neatly dodged, before ducking down as the other two benders sent twin blasts towards her from either side, hitting each other. She grinned and popped back up, running at her combatant and volleying blast after blast at his face. He dissipated one, blocked the next, and his answering arc of fire in her direction was met with air as she somersaulted forward and swept his legs out from under him.

Two left. They circled her in fighting position. She could wait for them to strike, or she could attack. Well, they say offense is the best defense. She spun, and a circle of flame bloomed outwards. They both managed to dodge, but were looking a little singed. Good. She charged again, through the weak flame her target managed to shoot at her, and attacked. Flame burst from her fist, hot and bright. It felt good. It felt strong. One left, behind her. She figured now was about time to bust out one of the sweet flips she’d been practicing. The arc of fire she brought down with her when she landed was enough to knock him to the ground, where he lay, smoking slightly and groaning.

“Yeah, alright! Another win for Avatar Korra!” Korra pumped the air with a fist and ran towards the spectators on the side of the sparring ring as her opponents picked themselves up off the ground.

“We haven’t decided if you passed your firebending test yet, Korra.” This was one of her firebending instructors.

“Come on! I could’ve taken these guys in my sleep! When am I gonna get a real challenge around here?”

“She lacks restraint.” Another instructor. The various instructors, teachers, mentors, and so forth appointed to train her in the compound always had this habit. Talking like she wasn’t there. Korra folded her arms.

“She’s a natural. Just like Aang.” This was Katara, old lady waterbender extraordinaire. Katara smiled down at Korra with wrinkly benevolence. “Yes, you passed, dear.”

Korra’s shout drowned out any indignant splutters of the other instructors at Katara’s decision to overrule their authority. Then she remembered to be respectful and bowed. “I mean, thank you very much. So what’s next? You and me, Master Katara? Waterbending trial? Ooh, or you guys could bury me alive and see if I can _earthbend_ my way out. Or-”

“Airbending.” One of the instructors again.

“Oh.” A pause. “You know, I’ve been thinking, and maybe airbending is just not _for_ me, like maybe I’m the first Avatar that only bends three elements, you know? I think I’m ready to go out in the world and start doing Avatar stuff without it.”

“Don’t be silly, Korra.” The instructor frowned. “It’s important that you master all four elements before you begin your duties. It was Aang’s express wish that you be allowed to learn the elements without distraction and undue pressure from the outside world.”

Korra deflated. Somehow the _what if I just never learn airbending and it’s fine_ argument had never worked. “When is Master Pema arriving?”

“She’s not. You’re going to begin full time work with the air acolytes, leaving aside your practice with the other elements for now. Master Pema will work with you when she is able to leave Republic City.”

“ _Full time?_ ” Korra was met with an impressive variety of disapproving expressions, as well as one twinkly old lady expression. She changed her mind about arguing. “I mean, yes. Of course. I will be honored. To work with the air acolytes. Full time. Every day.” She jittered around impatiently, waiting to see if that was all.

There was a general sigh. “Yes, Korra, you are dismissed.”

Korra sprinted out of the sparring ring without a second thought, pausing in a room inside the entrance to extricate herself from her protective gear. Once free, she whistled once, bright and clear into the still, cold air of the compound. She was answered by the frenzied approach of her polar-bear dog, Naga, which could be heard before it was seen. Naga bowled her over, tongue flying, and Korra laughed, burying her face in soft fur. “I passed, Naga!” she said, muffled.

Korra easily swung herself onto Naga’s back, and then paused to brush white fur off her face and spit a few stray hairs out of her mouth. The hazards of friendship. “Wanna go on a walk, girl?” she said, and Naga huffed in reply, then set off towards the entrance to the compound, paws crunching slightly on the packed snow.

The compound. Korra had lived there almost ever since she could remember. Her younger days were a blur of wreaking havoc through bending at her parent’s, which at some point had morphed from being located in a small village that she only remembered blurrily to the house she shared with them in the compound. A place to safely master her bending, away from the eyes of the world. The reinforced walls and packed snow, the sparring arena, the healing tent, the rooms especially for meditation and spiritual study, they all conjured up warm memories of her childhood. She had always felt strong, always felt safe, always been sure of her place in the world as the Avatar. A place that would be there for her when she came of age. She had grown stronger by the day, mastering the elements with ease. All the elements, that is, except one.

“I’m walking Naga,” Korra called to the guards at the gate. “Not going far.”

“Be back in an hour,” one called back, with a friendly wave.  
“Okay!” Korra waved back.

The gates opened slowly, revealing snow touched by endless sky. Naga and rider walked sedately through the gates, and then, spurred on, Naga began to run. Korra looked out into the bright day and the gleaming snow and the rushing wind until her eyes hurt, feeling giddy, feeling like freedom.

She and Naga stopped soon, though. They had to, if they were going to make it back in an hour. She had only ever gone so far outside of the compound. They rested for a little while, looking out at the world that was already turning blue with the afternoon’s sunset.

“They want me to train with the air acolytes full time.”

“Which is fine. Of course.”

Naga didn’t say anything, because she was a good listener.

“I just don’t think I’m going to get anywhere with it. I’ve meditated until my brain turns to mush, I’ve practiced the forms, and yet…”

Korra punched halfheartedly out with one arm. “Air!” She imitated an airbending form. “Airbend! Wind! Woosh! See? Nothing.”

She sighed. “You would think the world’s only airbending master would be able to free up some time to teach the world’s only Avatar.”

Master Pema. The late Avatar Aang’s only child, and the keeper of the air nomads’ cultural heritage, helped by the countless air acolytes who, though they did not possess airbending, had converted to keep the teachings and culture of airbenders alive. She lived and worked in Republic City, on Air Temple Island. The world’s representative of the entire culture of the air nomads had a lot of responsibilities, especially in nonpartisan Republic City, where all benders had an equal voice.

There had always been air acolytes in the compound to teach Korra about airbending, but it had never come to much. Pema had taken as much time as she could to come to the Southern Water Tribe, but a couple weeks here and there over the years did not an airbending master make. Especially because Korra had never so much as blown a leaf any distance. Well, one time she thought she did, but it was just the actual wind at the same time she was practicing her forms.

Maybe if she could study full time with _Master Pema_ , instead of the air acolytes, something would finally click. But Republic City was so far away. Korra tried to imagine what it would look like. She had quizzed everyone who lived in the compound about whether they had been there, and had heard about the lights of the city reflected in the water, the way people of all bending heritages lived together with non-benders, the Sato-mobiles roaring down the streets. But, try as she might, she couldn’t really conjure up a mental image when all the landscapes she ever saw were quiet snow.

For the first time, something didn’t feel right. Korra was the _Avatar,_ and she hadn’t shifted so much as a finger into the spirit world. She was supposed to bring people together, and she hadn’t even seen the rest of the world where people were living. At least, she assumed all those people that she needed to help were out there somewhere. Somewhere… not being helped by her! The Avatar! Suddenly, she wanted to scream. She wasn’t doing enough, it wasn’t enough! Maybe it had never been enough. Well, she was going to change that.

Senna and Tonraq seemed to know what she was thinking as soon as she returned.

“It’s time for you to leave, isn’t it,” said Tonraq, ever the picture of noble solidity.

Korra nodded silently, and her parents pulled her into a hug. She was suddenly aware of the fact that they weren’t coming with her, that she would be separated from them for the first time. When she pulled away, she bravely swiped at her eyes and gave them a grin.

“The world needs me! At least… I think it does. I’m going to do great things as the Avatar. You’ll see.”

“We always knew you would,” said Senna, warm strength personified.

In the stables that night, Korra tried to put Naga’s saddle on as quietly as possible.

“Nice night for an escape, isn’t it?”

Korra guiltily turned to see Katara. “Master Katara. I’m sorry- I have to go, I have to find my own path as the Avatar, not the path other people want.”

“When I was a little girl…” Katara began.  
“Your mother was killed by the Fire Nation?” Korra interrupted. She had heard this one before.

Katara frowned. “No. Well, yes, and it was terrible. But I had to make the choice to leave my village and help Aang master the elements, as well as learn waterbending myself. That decision to leave was the hardest one I ever made, but also, in a way, the easiest.” She smiled benignly. “You can’t stay here forever, Korra. We’ve tried to keep you safe until now, but you need to be out in the world, with people to talk to besides old ladies and your dog.”

“Why not…” Korra tried to form what she had been thinking. “Why not sooner? I’m almost an adult, and I don’t know all the elements! I don’t know anything! There are people out there who need me!”

“When you were a little girl, Korra, there was an attempt on your life.”

Korra stared. She had not heard this one before.  
“You won’t remember it, and we caught the people who did it, but it was such a shock that it was decided you needed to be more protected, and you were moved out of your village, to live here. We did what we thought was necessary. Now what you do… is up to you.”

Korra closed her mouth. Then opened it again. “Thank you, Master Katara.”

Katara wasn’t done. “What it’s really about, Korra… is hope. I hope you can find a way for yourself out in the world. And you should have hope that you can make the world a better place by your presence in it. I believe in you, but most importantly… you should believe in yourself.”

This was more like Katara’s usual speeches. Korra swung herself into Naga’s saddle. She believed in herself plenty! She was the Avatar! “Thank you, Master Katara. I’ll miss you.”

“Oh, I’m not going anywhere. Goodbye, Avatar Korra.” Katara stood by as Korra spurred Naga on.

The compound walls were high enough, but there was snow everywhere, and Korra knew which guard shift would be playing cards instead of watching out this time of night. Naga bounded up the ramp of ice and cleared the wall with a flying leap to land in the snow. They ran, faster and faster, into the night. Korra squinted against the cold wind and the snow that was blowing up as they gained speed, feeling like laughing, feeling like freedom.

She knew which direction a town lay with supply lines at the sea and after a while’s riding, she and Naga slipped aboard one of the ships’ cargo holds in the dark. She fell asleep against Naga with the rocking of the sea beneath her for the first time.

The dock workers unloading the latest cargo from the South the next morning were not expecting a girl riding a polar-bear dog to come bursting out of the ship’s hold. They scattered as the beast and girl landed heavily on the dock and bounded away, the words “Thanks for the ride!” carried back on the wind.

Korra stopped at the suspension bridge in awe. On the other side of the bridge, city lights reflected in the water, it was there. Republic City, in light and metal and noise. 


	3. Welcome to Republic City

Korra considered her view of the sky from her prone position as her bruises started to make themselves known. In retrospect, she had maybe been too confident about rushing headlong into Republic City on the back of a polar-bear dog taller, faster, and twice as slobbery as your average pedestrian. But really, how could she have known about things like _traffic_ and _right of way_ and _watch where you’re fucking going_ and _is that a fucking BEAR?_ Sato-mobiles were much faster than they looked in photographs, and they also hurt a lot more when they hit you than she had expected.

Naga’s face blocked out the sky and wafted hot, wet dog breath down at her.

“All right, girl, I’m getting up.” Korra creaked her way up and brushed herself off. She was already feeling better. She’d only been in Republic City for a few minutes and she’d already learned so much!

“Okay, Naga, take two!” Korra said, feeling cheered. “And this time we’ll be careful!”

How could she have known that you were supposed to have _money_ to _buy food_? And that when you just took food and promised to pay them back later whenever you figured out how to get money the person selling food would get very angry and chase you into the street and you would have to run away so fast?

“Naga, I’m beginning to think there are a lot of things that I wasn’t taught down in the South Pole,” Korra said as they entered a park that had seemed the best bet for a public place without secret rules that she didn’t know how to follow. Surely someone here would need help from the Avatar.

She spotted a likely candidate immediately- a man handing out flyers and speaking into a megaphone to a small crowd a little ways away. She dismounted Naga and strolled over.

_“Are you tired of being second-class citizens? For too long we have lived under the rule of benders, subject to their whims and bowing down to their leaders! Bending is a relic of the past! Join the Equalists to bring Republic City into the modern day!”_

Korra shouldered her way through the crowd.

“Hi there! Excuse me! Hi! Do you need help from the Avatar?”

The man looked down from his makeshift podium at the disconcertingly friendly water tribe girl with impressively toned arms. He frowned and lowered his megaphone.

“The Avatar? No one’s ever even _seen_ her.” He scoffed and raised his megaphone again.

“Well actually, I’m-”

_“The Avatar is pledged to unite all people, but when has the Avatar ever stood up for nonbenders? Where is the Avatar now, when we are faced with inequality and injustice? Leave the Avatar behind like the relic she is and join Amon! It’s time-”_ He lowered the megaphone again to stop the girl waving and jumping up and down. “What?”

“I was just wondering about all this _injustice_ and _inequality_ stuff. Bending is _not_ a relic, it’s the coolest thing in the world!”

“And let me guess... You’re a bender.”

“Well… Yes, but-”

“You prove my point! I bet you’re going to waterbend me right off this platform to teach me a lesson, huh?”  
“I-” Korra was beginning to get flustered. This was not a situation she knew how to deal with. “Do you _want_ me to?”

_“Benders like this waterbender use their bending to intimidate the rest of us! Dangerous firebenders roam the streets in gangs, killing mothers in their sleep to leave their children orphaned!”_

“What! That is _not_ true!” Korra jumped up on the podium and engaged in a very dignified slap fight with the speaker over control of the megaphone. Someone in the crowd of spectators started chanting ‘Fight, fight, fight!’ There was a flash of light.

_“The Avatar is here to unite people! She is NOT a relic- Hey!”_

_“Amon will bring equality! The Equalists have a plan!”_

A whistle sounded and a man in a silly hat and uniform ran towards them. “Hey! Break it up!”

Korra released the man from a headlock. He stopped trying to bite her arm and snatched his megaphone off the ground. Korra glared at him, jumped off the platform, and swiped one of the flyers.

“The Avatar is NOT a relic!” she said, pointing aggressively at the man. “Come on, Naga.” She strode away, muttering under her breath. “Equalists… Isn’t the Avatar supposed to be the equalist? _I_ bring equality, not stupid Amon. Nonbenders.” She looked at the flyer, its promise of equality, its man in a mask, and felt a twinge of uncertainty. “Stupid.” she said, and lit a flame in her palm, setting the flyer alight.

“Hey!” Another one of the uniformed men. “No firebending in the park!”

“What? Why?”

“Firebending is dangerous!”

Korra spluttered. “Wh- _You’re_ dangerous!”

“Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to take your, uh, polar bear dog and leave.”   
“I was leaving anyways!” Korra shouted, then stomped out of the park, Naga in tow.

Korra stomped through the streets of Republic City, becoming more and more lost with every turn. She was hungry. She had been hit by a car. Stupid nonbenders said she was a relic. Everything was loud. People shouted at her. In all her daydreaming back at the South Pole, she had not imagined her first day in the city to be like… _this._ She just needed to get to Air Temple Island and everything would be fine. She resolved to ask for directions, and bravely strode up to a woman who seemed like she knew where she was going.

“Air Temple Island?” said the young woman in a thick accent that Korra couldn’t place. “Yeah, no problem. You just need to turn around, you’re two blocks away from the intersection of Fourth and Plaza, take the North-East Red One to the Circle and you’ll come out on Upper Main West. From there you’ll need to go down the river to Fifty-third and Thirty-fifth, which is past the library, you’ll know it by the lion turtle statues. On your left you’ll see Fong’s, that’s a hot dog joint. Ask for my boy Mikey and he’ll let you go through the back, he’s got a straight shot to the Kyoshi Ferry from the alley. Hop the turnstile from there and there’s a one o’clock, one ten, and ten-thirty to the island, so don’t miss the one ten, or you’ll be out of a job. Got it?”

“Uh… Absolutely! Thanks for the help!” said Korra with what she hoped was her most winning smile. The woman grinned back and took off, crossing the street in front of a Sato-mobile that screeched to a halt and honked, prompting the woman to give a rude gesture.

“Did you get all that?” Korra said to Naga hopefully as they started walking again. Naga whuffed and licked her face. “Me neither.” said Korra, trying to wipe dog slime out of one of her ponytails.

They turned a corner at random. A slick-looking Sato-mobile screeched past them and pulled up to a shop. The shopkeeper, who had been watering flowers in a window box, jumped and dropped his watering can. The pedestrians walking by took a look at the car and suddenly found they had better places to be. Korra watched three swanky men exit the vehicle and start talking to the shop owner.

“Wait a second,” Korra said as she watched the men loom threateningly over the old shopkeeper, who shrank away from them while making placating gestures. “I think those men are… Are criminals! Naga, this is my moment!”

“Give me the money, or else-” said one of the gangsters, lighting a flame in his hand and holding it up to the wooden frame of the shop.

“Or else what, punk?”

The three men turned to eye the water tribe teen who had interrupted them. “Look, missy,” said the spokesgangster, Viper. “We’re conducting private business here with Mr. Chung. You best skidaddle if you don’t wanna be caught on the wrong side of the Triple Threat Triad.” He grinned his sleaziest grin.

The girl didn’t seem impressed. “Or what?” she said.

“Or what, what?” Viper started to get annoyed. “Or we’re gonna beat you up, that’s what!”

“Do it then.” Korra examined her nails with studied unconcern.

“What?”

“Beat me up.” She spread out her arms. “I’m ready.”

Viper narrowed his eyes, but he wasn’t going to back down now. “Just who do you think you are?”

Korra grinned. “Why don’t you come and find out?”

That was enough. Korra charged at the three gangsters. Now this was more like it. A conflict she knew how to fix. She focused on the middle one, who shot fire at her in quick blasts. She dodged expertly. Now one would draw her out, while the other two would come from the sides. She caught the man’s arm as he punched towards her, dodged the flame, and spun him around, using his momentum against him to throw him to the ground. In the same motion, she pulled a stream of water from the shopkeeper’s dropped watering can and caught the fallen gangster in the face as he tried to stand up, encasing his head in a block of ice. He overbalanced and fell over again, the ice breaking on impact.

She ducked preemptively to dodge the other two benders who- where had they gone? She looked to the side, then fell forward as one of them jumped her from the back. She rolled, fighting the man off. He came at her with a burst of flame, which she dispelled, then she kicked, and an arc of flame followed her foot, light reflecting in his shocked eyes as he stumbled back. She cackled at his shocked expression.

“Got an idea about who I am now?”

But the other gangster hadn’t been put off, and was coming towards her. He attacked with a stream of flame, and she expertly dodged it, but when she looked back, he was gone and was… behind her! She spun, and something glittered in his hand as his lunge failed. Was that… a _knife?_ That wasn’t allowed!

It was time to end this. Korra felt her connection to the street under her feet. It was made of stone. The earth under Knife Gangsters feet shot up, sending him crashing to the ground. She turned, and the chunk of earth went flying towards one of the other gangsters, catching him square in the chest and sending him through the glass of the shop opposite. The leader was… In the Sato-mobile! It roared towards her, and she threw herself out of the way.

When she got up, all three gangsters were in the car and it was speeding away. Korra gave a wordless noise of rage and started chasing after it.

“You’re _not_ getting away!” She adopted an earthbending stance and _pushed._ A chunk of earth speared up from the street, catching the Sato-mobile under the front tire and flipping it. It crashed through a shopfront and stopped rightside up, the three gangsters groaning inside.

A siren sounded from the heavens. Korra looked up at the large metal airship.

 _“Police! Freeze where you are!”_ A hatch opened from the bottom of the airship and wires shot out, anchoring themselves to nearby buildings. The metalbenders attached to the wires shot out and landed in front of her, reeling in their wires as they walked towards where Korra stood with her hands on her hips in triumph.

“I caught the bad guys for you, officers!” she said proudly.

One of the police officers pointed towards the gangsters stumbling out of the smashed shopfront, Sato-mobile smoking behind them. “Arrest them!” He swiveled and pointed towards Korra. “And you’re under arrest too!”

“ _What?_ But I stopped those criminals!” Korra caught the cable that the police officer shot towards her.

“Looks like you smashed up a street to me. Let go and let me arrest you!”

Korra looked around guiltily at the several smashed shopfronts, the rubble, and the couple small fires, then looked back at the cop, straining to pull back his cable.

“Okay!” she said, and let go of the cable. It whipped back and hit the cop in the face, and Korra skidaddled, leaping onto Naga’s back as Naga rushed by. She was not getting arrested today!

It was difficult to admire the aerial view of Republic City while you were trussed up and hanging from the bottom of a police airship after attempting a thrilling escape, but Korra did her best. Naga whined from somewhere to her side.

“I know, girl,” Korra said, watching the cityscape pass by upside-down, contemplating how much blood was rushing to her head. She hoped they would get to the police station soon.

“ _Multiple_ counts of destruction of private and city property, not to mention _evading arrest._ ”

Korra focused on the severe grey-haired woman with a little difficulty. Her head was starting to hurt. The woman wore one of the metalbending police uniforms, and had a scar on one side of her face. Another policewoman stood in the corner looking severe. She looked about the same age as Angry Scar Woman, had hair pulled back in a braid and a beauty mark under one eye. She said nothing.

Korra tried arguing her case. “But I had to stop the gangsters! They were threatening an innocent man!”

“You should have called the police and stayed out of the way.”

“I couldn’t just do nothing! I have to help people!” Angry Scar Woman was unmoved. Korra tried another tactic. “You see… I’m the Avatar.”

“Oh, I know who you are, and I’m not impressed. You can’t just waltz into Republic City and start doling out vigilante justice like you own the place.” The woman sat down in the chair opposite Korra.   
Korra was confused. “But… I can. It’s my duty.” She tentatively tested the handcuffs anchoring her to the table. Nope, still pretty strong.

The other woman in the room who had been watching went to the door and opened it, conversing with someone outside. She stepped back in. “Chief Beifong, Councilwoman Pema is here.”

“ _Beifong?_ ” said Korra. “Lin Beifong? But… You’re Toph’s daughter! Toph was my friend! I mean, you know. Aang’s friend.”

Angry Scar Woman became, if possible, even angrier. Whoops. Mentioning Toph must have been a mistake. “Listen here, _Avatar,_ I don’t care who you think you are, but you need to-”

“Lin.” Airbending master Pema stood in the doorway, accompanied by a real or imaginary stirring of air, all flowing robes and long hair and blue arrow tattoos.

Lin cut herself off mid-rant and stood up. “Councilwoman Pema. Care to explain what some half-baked Avatar is doing gallivanting around my city, causing chaos? _You_ said that she wouldn’t be showing her face around here for several more years.”

Korra slumped back in her chair. Talking like she wasn’t there, just like everyone had done her entire life.

Councilwoman Pema looked vaguely around, not looking Korra in the eye. “No matter what I may have said about the Avatar, it appears that she is here. And so we must adjust.”

“The damages-” Lin started.

“Will be covered. Now, if you would be so good as to let the Avatar go, I am sure she will accompany me back to Air Temple Island.”

“Fine, but you better keep her there,” Lin said, as the other woman unlocked Korra’s handcuffs. Korra sprang up. “At least keep her out of my city until she has some common sense.” She glared at Korra. Korra glared back. Pema looked vague. The other policewoman looked inscrutable.

“Is this your polar bear dog, miss?” a harried police officer asked outside of the station. He hung grimly onto Naga’s reins in what appeared to have been an ongoing battle between them. Naga lunged forward, pulling the officer over, and he let go of her reins in defeat. 

Pema maintained an airy silence all the way back to Air Temple Island. They rode the ten thirty ferry. They had missed the one ten by a lot. Finally, outside of the Air Temple residence, she held up a hand to silence Korra’s stream of questions that had been constant since the police station. “Korra, please.”

Korra shut her mouth reluctantly, but Pema didn’t volunteer anything else, so she tried again. “So can I stay? You’re not going to send me back, right? I swear I’ll just run away again! I’m meant to be here! I know it!”

“Yes…” said Pema reluctantly. “You can stay. It was only a matter of time before this happened, with them keeping you locked up down there. I always told them it wasn’t healthy.”

“Yes! Thank you!” Korra registered the rest of her words. “Wait… why didn’t you do anything sooner? I could have been here learning airbending moves for years!”

Pema avoided the question, becoming studiously invested in the view of Republic City across the water. “It doesn’t do to dwell on the past, Korra. Look to the future. This city is the future.” She turned her full attention on Korra. It was like a spotlight beam. Korra felt like she should squint or something. “You are the future. It’s up to you to deal with it.”

A day ago, that would have seemed like a motivating sentiment. Now, Korra wasn’t so sure. She opened her mouth to speak, but Pema silenced her again.

“We can begin your airbending training tomorrow. At dawn.” Before Korra could reply, Pema swept away with astonishing regality for someone who barely came up to Korra’s shoulder. Korra stood for a second, glanced back at the city glittering in the night, then skiddled after her, feeling elated despite it all.


	4. Mistakes Have Been Made

Korra sat quietly next to Pema in the already too-warm morning and tried to let her thoughts be air bison passing by in the wind. Meditating had never been particularly difficult before, but today it was hard. The events of the last 24 hours were jostling around in her mind, waving for attention, kind of like the crowd at the Equalist speech in the park. Equalists… Surely nonbenders weren’t oppressed by benders. That was completely silly. Bending was the best thing in the world! She tried to think of all the nonbenders she knew. Her mother was a nonbender, and she had never seemed oppressed. Her mother! She should probably write home, let her parents know how her arrival to the city had gone. There would be so much to tell them. It already felt like a hundred years since she had left. A hundred years… kind of like Aang in the iceberg. He had probably felt the same way when he found out the world was suddenly completely different. She should ask him. _Aang, hello?_ She thought really hard. _How did you deal with everything after you got out of the iceberg?_ He didn’t reply, but then, he never did. She’d never been able to actually connect to her past lives, but that didn’t stop her from trying. Aang had probably not had any problems, anyways. He had probably meditated about it, because he was such a good airbender. Meditating! That’s what she was supposed to be doing.

“Allow your thoughts to let go,” said Pema, as if she’d been reading her mind.

Korra’s thoughts jolted back to the present. She focused on her breathing. She felt her connection to the earth and the elements. Well, not really the air. All she felt about the air was that it was hot. It had never been this hot in the South Pole. Oops, it was happening again. No thoughts. She pictured herself shoving her thoughts into a tiny box and hiding it away. She was in control. Screw you, thoughts! You aren’t the boss of me!

“Now open your eyes,” said Pema, who had apparently been narrating the meditation the whole time. Korra sprang up from her seated position with relief. Pema sedately rose.

“Let’s practice your airbending forms,” said Pema.

Airbending forms! She could do that. Easy. “Sir yes sir!” said Korra with energy, feeling jittery after her meditation attempt. “Airbending!” she declared, to get herself in the mood. She raised her hands in an airbending form with military precision, and moved precisely in spiraling patterns. This was the kind of thing she had done all day with the air acolytes, and she was definitely an expert at this point. Besides, you know, the airbending part. She looked back at Pema, who was watching with an expression that Korra realized was trying not to laugh.

“What?” said Korra, stopping.   
Pema seemed to be choosing her words carefully. “You’re approaching airbending in a very… _Korra_ way.” Korra frowned. “And I love the enthusiasm!” Pema added quickly. “But bending isn’t just perfectly executing the movements, it’s about the mental approach. You look like you’re trying to beat the wind into submission.”

Korra folded her arms. Pema tried another tactic. “Look. Waterbending is transformative. In a fight, you use your opponent’s strength against them. Firebending can be aggressive, but it is also creation; you generate energy and bring it into the world. Earthbending is stable. An earthbender can weather any storm, face any obstacle head on. Airbending… Airbending is less active, and more reactive. When you meet resistance, you must be able to switch direction at a moment’s notice. Try to change your mindset to that of an airbender.”

Change her mindset… Change her mindset. Yes. Of course. She could do that!

“How was airbending practice?” Pema’s husband, Tenzin asked at breakfast, several speeches from Pema, an incident with an airbending contraption of spinning panels, and one Korra meltdown later. Korra ate in stormy silence.

“Illuminating,” said Pema obtusely, sipping tea. Tenzin glared accusingly at Korra, his pointy beard quivering. Korra glared accusingly back. Tenzin was very into airbending for a nonbender. Maybe _too_ into airbending.

“Jinora, dear, could you go fetch today’s paper?” said Pema, ignoring their staredown.

Pema’s daughter, Jinora, obediently jumped up and skipped out of the room. She returned to more stony silence and dropped the paper in front of Pema. “Thank you,” said Pema, taking a sip of tea and looking at the front page. She made a strangled sound as she choked on her tea and started coughing. Tenzin snatched the paper. His eyes widened, and he snapped his glare back on Korra, who was trying to make herself as unnoticeable as possible.

“Young lady-” Tenzin began with great aplomb. Pema cut him off.

“Korra, dear,” she said, which was somehow worse. “You must have had a _very_ busy day yesterday.” She slid the paper towards Korra, who picked it up gingerly, as if it might explode.

**AVATAR IN REPUBLIC CITY: CAUSES CHAOS, TAKES ANTI-EQUALIST, ANTI-TRIAD STANCE!**

There was large photo beneath the headline of… Yes, Korra in the park, holding the Equalist protestor in a headlock while he tried to bite her arm. A smaller headline proclaimed “WHO IS THE AVATAR?” over a picture of her pulling a face in her mugshot from the police station.

“It was a misunderstanding…?” Korra suggested.

Pema took the paper back, scanning the article. She shook her head angrily. “Lin,” she said. “Or that captain, the one I don’t like.”

“Kuvira.” Tenzin offered.

“Yes, that’s her. One of them must have told the press. I _asked_ them not to. I asked nicely! Don’t I ask nicely?”

“Yes, dear,” said Tenzin.

Pema snapped her attention back towards Korra, who was wondering if any airbenders had ever mastered the art of turning invisible, and also if they could teach her how. “Press conference,” she said.

“What?” said Korra.

Pema stood up. “Damage control. We should have done this last night, but we’ll just have to do what we can.” She swept out of the room. Korra reluctantly stood up and followed.

“Daddy, can I have the business section? The stocks have been simply abysmal lately,” Jinora said to Tenzin as Korra left.

Korra gazed out at the sea of reporters, trying desperately to remember the many instructions Pema had given her on what to say, what not to say, and how to say it as delicately as possible. She leaned forward to speak into the microphones, her mind a roaring white blank.

“Hello?” she tried. The microphones screeched with feedback. “I’m… Korra. Your new Avatar.”

The questions came like a wave. Korra tried to focus on any of the words. Crime, the Anti-bending revolution, Chief Beifong and the police, Equalists, her plan for Republic City, where had she been all this time, the Triads- her plan. What was her plan? She didn’t have a plan.

“I don’t have a plan. Yet.” she said, and then winced. Stupid. “But I-I’m here to stay! I’m actually here to learn airbending?”

The reporters pressed on. What about crime, nonbenders, Equalists, the city, the police, the crime, the Equalists, the city, her arrest-

“Republic City is the center of peace and balance in the world!” Korra said desperately. “That’s what Aang. Avatar Aang wanted for it. And I want that for it. Too!” She cast about the crowd of people for inspiration. People. Yes! “The people of Republic City need me.” Wait. “I mean- I’m going to set an example for the people, as we make Avatar Aang’s dream a reality!” Now she was getting somewhere. “The future is Republic City!” She glanced to the side at Pema. Oops. Pema was frantically signaling at her to stop talking. “I look forward to serving you! Thank you, Republic City!” Pema was now ushering her away from the podium, delivering curt replies to the reporters who pressed after them as they made their escape.

Another trip back to Air Temple Island in silence.

“For now, Korra, I think you had better stay on Air Temple Island and focus on airbending,” Pema said when they arrived, looking fixedly at a point somewhere up and to the left of Korra’s face. “This afternoon, you can continue your airbending study with Jinora. I have work to do.” A sweep of robes, a gust of wind. Pema was gone, and Korra was left in the custody of Jinora, who had met them when they arrived. Korra looked at Jinora, who looked back with the unconcern of a ten year old.

“You’re in trouble,” Jinora said mildly, then skipped off, apparently expecting Korra to follow her. Korra sullenly kicked a rock. She hadn’t meant to earthbend, but it exploded into dust anyways. This just made her more mad, somehow. She trailed after Jinora, feeling like a complete and utter failure.

“You’re doing it wrong,” Jinora said that evening. Pema hadn’t appeared for dinner, and the atmosphere had not been improved by Tenzin spending the whole meal making passive-aggressive comments about Some People who Cause Trouble In The City and Create Work for Hardworking People who are Just Trying To Help. He had practically forced the two of them to continue airbending training that evening, even though they’d spent the whole afternoon getting nowhere.

Korra almost screamed. “I know I’m doing it wrong! Obviously I’m doing it wrong! I haven’t produced a single puff of air in my entire life! One day is not going to change anything!”

Jinora looked taken aback, then shrugged. “Whatever,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” said Korra, sitting down on the ground. “It just seems to come so easy to you, and you’re… what, like five?”

Jinora looked offended. “I’m ten and a half!”

Korra shrugged. Kids all seemed kind of the same to her. “You’re… ten and a half, and like, already an airbending master.”

“I’m _not_ an airbending master. Airbending masters have tattoos.” Jinora regarded Korra as if she was interacting with a particularly stupid person.

“You know what I mean!”

Jinora sat down in front of Korra. “Well, my mom says I can’t get tattoos yet. But I think I should. Aang was the youngest airbending master ever when he was twelve, but I want to beat him.”

“Well, you better get going. You’ve got one and a half years,” said Korra.

“I can count,” said Jinora irritably. “Anyways, why do you care? You already know three elements. That’s two more than me.”

“Yeah, I can count,” said Korra, and cracked a smile in Jinora’s direction. Jinora didn’t smile, but her expression was marginally less frosty.

“What’s your favorite pro-bending team?” said Jinora briskly. She seemed to have decided that they were friends. “The Tigerdillos are favorites, but I think the Boar-q-pines might be back for their title.”

“What?”  
“Your favorite pro-bending team? You know, Ember Island Eel Hounds? Ba Sing Se Badgermoles?”

Korra looked blank.  
“Harbor Town Hog Monkeys? Orchid Gardens Ostrich Horses? You don’t know what _pro-bending_ is?”

Korra shook her head mutely.

“Where have you _been?_ ” said Jinora with the open distaste of a ten year old. “Pro-bending is- well, actually there should be a match right now! Follow me.” She jumped up and scampered away. Korra followed in mounting confusion.

“That’s the pro-bending arena,” Jinora said, pointing across the water of Yue Bay.

Korra squinted at the arena, lit up enticingly with spotlights that reached into the sky.

Jinora plopped a radio down on the ground and turned it on, adjusting the antennae until words came out of the static.

_“I’m Shiro Shenobi and youuu’re listening to the pro-bending qualifiers! These teams are competing for a chance at the crown in the pro-bending championship tournament! Tonight, the Red Sands Rabaroos and the Makapu Moose Lions!”_

“It’s a sport,” said Jinora. “A bending sport. There are these zones, and three people per team, and… Just listen.”

Korra listened, her confusion turning to delight as the radio announcer continued. This wasn’t bending like any bending she knew. This was something… new. Different. Better? She and Jinora sat side by side, looking out at the arena as the match began.

_“These ladies are fierce! Ula ricochets an attack off the wires and sweeps the firebender off his feet, annnd he’s in the drink! With a performance like this, the Rabaroos are looking to land themselves a spot in the championship!”_

“My mom doesn’t let us go to the matches,” said Jinora, as Korra opened her mouth to ask. “She says it’s just cheap entertainment that’ll just distract me from my airbending duties. My dad says it’s a mockery to the ancient tradition of bending.”

“Sounds like your parents hate fun,” said Korra.

Jinora actually smiled. “Yeah.” They listened to the match in companionable silence as the evening wore on.

_“Tomorrow, the rookie Fire Ferrets take the arena! Can bending brothers Bolin and Mako hold their own against-”_ Jinora shut off the radio with practiced speed as Pema approached, back from whatever work she had been doing. Korra looked up guiltily, but Pema didn’t say anything, just gave the two of them a look of vague disappointment and swept off into the living quarters of the temple.

“We should probably go to bed,” said Korra, with the vague idea that Jinora was up past her bedtime.

“Yeah, okay,” said Jinora.

Korra tore herself away from the tantalizing view of the pro-bending arena and went to bed. No matter what Pema said, she was _not_ going to stay cooped up on Air Temple Island. She had had enough of quietly learning bending and following directions to last her entire life. She _would_ see a pro-bending match. She _would._


	5. The Rookies

Sneaking into the pro-bending arena was much easier than it probably should have been. Getting off the island was easy; all of Pema’s rules, as she was an airbender, were strictly honor system, and easily broken if you didn’t feel like being a good upstanding person. Korra felt a small twinge of guilt as she jumped into the water of Yue Bay the next night, but she hadn’t actually given her word that she would stay on Air Temple Island. The guilt was quickly overridden by the excitement of the escape and the warm water of the bay, much warmer than the chilly plunges she had taken back in the South.

The morning’s newspaper had arrived with the headline: THE AVATAR’S PLAN: ‘I DON’T HAVE A PLAN,’ and her day had not gotten any better from there; it had been another long day of fruitless airbending training, chilly silences from Pema, and passive-aggressive remarks from Tenzin. She was only too ready to leave the island and her troubles behind.

Waterbending easily sped her way across the bay and a spinning waterspout tossed her into the air and spat her through a conveniently open window in the outside wall of the arena several stories up. She neatly rolled on landing and sprang up, spinning around to dry herself with bending.

The hallway damp and Korra dry, she set off in a random direction. Surely the arena would be around here somewhere. She was immediately distracted by a set of open doors leading to a very tantalizing gym filled with pro-bending equipment. She commenced snooping immediately and was just about to try bending one of the earth disks when some old guy with a towel on his shoulder came in looking affronted.

“Hey, where did you come from?” he demanded.

Korra decided to try the ‘completely innocent to the ways of the world’ strategy. “I escaped from a compound!” she said brightly.

“Huh?” he said. Faced with something he didn’t understand, he replaced his confusion with anger, a much more straightforward emotion. He advanced towards her. “What are you doin’ sneaking around in my gym?” Korra tried to creep towards the door.

“You know, I’m sick of these kids comin’ in here without paying! I’m taking you to security!” He squinted at her. “Hey, wait, I saw you in the paper yesterday, you’re the-”

“ _There_ you are!” Korra and the man both turned, Korra with her fists raised, ready for combat in case it was security come to toss her out of the building. It wasn’t security. It was a boy with a pleasant, open face, and muscles almost as impressive as her own. “I’ve been looking all over for you!” he continued, looking at Korra.

Korra glanced behind her. No one else was there, so he must be talking to her. She didn’t know him. “You don’t know me-” she began, then stopped as the boy put an arm over her shoulder.

“ _Play along!”_ he hissed in her ear. “It’s okay, Toza, she’s with me,” he said to the man.

The man, Toza, looked back and forth between them. Korra realized this boy was trying to get her out of trouble. She smiled her most winning smile.

“Yes,” she said knowingly. “We’re uh…” Inspiration struck. “He’s my boyfriend!”

This was obviously too much for Toza. “Ugh, whatever! You kids,” he said, turning away. “Canoodling,” he muttered.

The boy steered her away from the gym. When they were out of sight and earshot of Toza, Korra shrugged his arm off her shoulder. He stepped away a little too quickly and cleared his throat.

“Thanks for saving me back there, but… I had it under control,” said Korra.

He grinned. “Yeah, didn’t look like it to me. Looked like Toza was about to call security on you. He _loves_ calling security on people.”

Korra proudly crossed her arms. “I could have dealt with security.”

“Suuuure, just like you _dealt with_ Toza. Oh… that’s right, you didn’t. Until I saved your ass.”

“Wow, I would expect my _boyfriend_ to be less rude.”

“I’m not your-!” He saw that she was grinning. “Oh, uh huh, I see. You think you’re a funny lady, don’t you. A real class act.”

Korra shrugged. “I have my moments. Hey, since you’re my boyfriend and all, can you show me the pro-bending? I got lost looking for the arena.”

“Show you ‘the pro-bending’? Oh, yeah, I can show you some pro-bending, alright. Right this way, m’lady.” He pulled off an extravagant bow, then winked and took her by the arm. “Where did you come from, anyways?” he said as they walked.

“Oh, I broke in.”

“Oh, yeah of course, you broke in- you _broke in?_ ” He stopped and looked at her. “Who _are_ you?”

“Oh, you don’t know?” said Korra, enjoying the attention. She tossed her ponytails and tried to strike a thoughtful, Avatar-y expression.

“No.”

“Oh, okay.” She tried not to sound disappointed.

They walked until they got to a row of doors. She could hear faint noise coming from the other side. He opened one.

“Whaddaya think? Best seats in the house, right?”

It was a small room with a glass front, and on the other side was- Korra rushed to the glass. The _pro-bending arena._ And the noise she had been hearing was the crowd! She pressed her face against the glass. She had never _seen_ so many people in one place before. And they were all here to watch pro-bending. She tried to imagine how loud the crowd would be if she was standing in the arena, with people on all sides cheering for her.

“This place is amazing!” she managed.

“The name’s Bolin,” said the boy. “But you can call me The Amazing Bolin!! That’s two exclamation points.”

“Bro, no one’s going to call you that.”

She hadn’t noticed there was someone else in the room. She turned to see another boy who looked similar to Bolin but taller… and spikier. He leaned against the wall looking bored.

“Hey, you never know!” said Bolin. “Anyways, Korra, meet my brother, Mako!” He gestured her towards the spiky boy. Korra stretched out her hand.

“Hi, I’m-”

He brushed her aside. “Whatever. Bolin,” he said, taking Bolin by the shoulder and pulling him aside. “I told you to stop bringing your fangirls in here before matches. Get her out of here.” Bolin cast a worried look over his shoulder at Korra, who gave him two thumbs up.

“Look, Mako, I kind of… promised her she could stay. I have a good feeling about her!”

“Ugh. Whatever. We’re up.” Mako put on a helmet and left without a glance at Korra.

Korra frowned. “What’s his problem?”

Bolin took another helmet out of a closet in the back of the room. “Sorry about him. He’s just real… _serious_ about bending. Y’know, cause he’s a firebender and all. Anyways, wish me luck!” He jammed the helmet on his head and winked. “Not that I’ll need it.”

The helmets, the armored outfits, the best seats in the house. Korra put two and two together. “You guys are pro benders!”

Bolin laughed. “Who _are_ you, mystery lady? You better believe we’re pro-benders. The bending brothers are out for the championship!”

“Wow! Good luck!” said Korra as he bounced out of the room, almost too excited for words. “Knock ‘em out!” She punched a fist in the air.

_“Introooooducing the Fire Ferrets! The rookie Fire Ferrets came out of nowhere, but have made it further than anyone expected this season. But tonight, they face their toughest challenge yet, folks.”_

The three teammates- Bolin, Mako, and some other guy, stood on the arena, raised above water and surrounded by cheering crowds. Bolin and the other guy waved to the crowds while Mako stood, unmoved. Korra waved back frantically, even though Bolin probably couldn’t see her. They faced their opponents, the Tigerdillos, and a bell sounded.

_“Annnd, they’re off! The two teams waste no time trying to blast each other out of zone one!”_

Korra watched the match with glee. It was already so much better than it had been on the radio. The players dodged and attacked, light on their feet. Their bending strikes were quick and relentless. It wasn’t like any bending she’d ever seen, any bending she’d been taught.

_“Hasook is the first to feel the heat of the Tigerdillos! He’s been knocked back to zone two!”_

“Boo!” said Korra. This other guy was clearly the weakest member of the team.

_“Looks like Hasook’s in trouble! He’s in zone three, teetering over the drink! …And Hasook takes a dip!”_

Bolin and Mako grimly fought on, trading blows with the Tigerdillos. An earth disk in the chest sent Bolin sliding back to the third zone, and Mako landed on the line beside him as a bell rung, giving the first round to the Tigerdillos. Korra groaned.

The Fire Ferrets, spurred on by their defeat, were on the offense in the second round, and managed to send the Tigerdillos to zone two just before the bell.

_“The Fire Ferrets cinch the round with seconds left on the clock! It’s one apiece, still anyone’s match as we go into the third and final round!”_

The Fire Ferret’s close victory in the second round was immediately put to the test as the Tigerdillos moved in on Hasook, the weak link. He dodged ungracefully as Mako and Bolin shot earth and fire at the oncoming attacks, and a water blast sent him toppling into Bolin, knocking his teammate over. The two of them were sent over the edge of the platform by an earth disc before they could get back on their feet.

_“It’s all up to Mako now! He’s bobbing and weaving! He’s weaving and bobbing! But he’s not hitting back! He’s dancing on the edge of the edge of the ring, but he’s not hitting back! It seems his plan is to let the Tigerdillos punch themselves out!”_

Korra leaned forward in excitement. Mako was weaving between attacks like he wasn’t a firebender at all. She _had_ to learn how to do that.

_“And his plan is working! Han is in the pool! They’ve got nothing left in the tank and Mako is on the offensive! It’s two on one! Scratch that, it’s one on one, and it’s an earth on fire slugfest! There’s so much smoke and dust I can’t even see where the Fire Ferret is!”_

The arena was covered in smoke, the earthbender in zone three. Mako came barreling out of the cloud of dust with a fire strike, and the earthbender’s hastily raised earth disc in defense was not enough as he was sent flying into the moat.

_“It’s a knockout! What a wing-dinger of a hat trick, folks! Mako pulls off the upset of the season, winning the match for the Fire Ferrets!”_

The door burst open behind Korra and Bolin bounded in. “All right! One more win for the Fire Ferrets and we’re in the championship!” He took his helmet off and ran his hand through his hair. “So, whaddaya think, Korra? Bolin’s got some moves, huh?” He posed.

The effect was ruined by Korra rushing forward and grabbing him by the collar. “What did I think? What did I _think?_ ” She lifted him off the ground a couple inches. “That was amazing!” She playfully punched him.

Bolin laughed. “I mean, uh, ow, that really hurt,” He rubbed his arm.

They were interrupted by raised voices from the hall. “We won, didn’t we?” said Hasook outside the door.

“Barely!” This was Mako.

“Get off my case, man!” Hasook shoved past Mako and left down the hall. Mako stormed in.

“Useless,” said Mako, taking off his helmet.

“You guys were incredible out there!” said Korra in a non-sequitur, oblivious to Mako’s anger. “Especially you, Mister Hat Trick!”

“Oh, you’re still here?” said Mako, not looking at her.

Korra frowned. “Oh, you’re still a jerk?”

“Ooh!” said Bolin, then turned to Korra. “So, I was thinking, you and me, we could hang out-”

“Yes!” said Korra in excitement. “And you could show me some pro-bending moves! It’s like a whole new style here, I _have_ to learn some of those tricks.”

Bolin recovered quickly. “Uh, yes! Absolutely!”

Mako made an annoyed noise. “Right now? Come on, Bolin.”

“Just ignore him,” Bolin said cheerily. “It’s what I do. Yeah, I could show you the basics.” He looked at Korra pensively. “Just not sure how my earthbending would translate to your waterbending. But we could make it work!” he added hastily.

“Won’t be a problem,” said Korra smugly, crossing her arms. “I’m actually an earthbender.”

Bolin looked mortified. “I’m sorry, no-no! I didn’t mean to assume! It just seemed like, with your whole… water tribe getup... that you are… a water tribe… gal…” He petered out.

“Oh, you assumed correctly. I’m a waterbender, too.” Korra grinned. “And a firebender.”

Bolin nodded. “Yes. Of course. I’m very confused right now.”

“You’re the Avatar, and I’m an idiot.” Mako said, shaking his head.

“Both are true,” said Korra.   
“No… way!” said Bolin. “Mystery lady, you’re the _Avatar?_ ”

“I’ve been all over the papers,” said Korra. “Surprised you didn’t see. Y’know, my big arrival in Republic City.”

“Oh, I can’t read,” said Bolin. “And we don’t keep up with the news before a game, anyways. But now we _have_ to do some bending!”

In the gym, Korra faced down a stack of earth discs. Bolin bounced beside her. Mako sat off to the side, pretending not to be interested.

“You know, you’re like a whole pro-bending team in one! Do you think they’d let the Avatar be on a team by herself?”

“Three against one?” said Korra. “Psh. I could totally do that.” She adopted an earthbending stance, feeling her center of gravity, her stable connection with the ground. The entire stack of earth discs went flying into a net on the other side of the room. “Woohoo! Score!”

“Oh, great, great power,” said Bolin. “But um, you can only bend one at a time. And you’re going to be a sitting turtle-duck with that stance.” He bounced on his feet. “Stay light on your toes, until you need to dig in and strike. Then… Pop-pop!” Two coins went flying into the net.

Korra experimentally bounced from side to side. “Let me try again.” She raised two discs. “Pop-pop!” They went flying after Bolin’s into the net.

“Yeah, you’re a natural!” said Bolin. “But y’know… I still don’t believe you’re the _Avatar._ ”

Korra laughed. “Oh, yeah?” There were grates in the floor of the gym that mirrored the ones dividing the zones in the pro-bending arena. She raised a stream of water and sent it spraying towards Bolin, drenching him.

“Hey!” he sputtered. “Hosing is against the rules!” He raised his fists and sent an earth disc flying towards her in retaliation. She raised her arms in defense and the disc shattered into pieces. She did a kick, and fire arced towards him, but Bolin was quick. He dodged and an earth disc came hurtling towards her, almost knocking her off balance. She recovered her balance and sent a blast of water towards his legs, turning it to ice on impact. He fell over.

“Icing is against the rules, too!” he complained as she dissolved the ice and held out her hand to help him up. She grinned, and glanced over her shoulder at Mako, who quickly looked away and pretended like he hadn’t been watching.

“Believe I’m the Avatar now?”

“Yeah, alright, you’re the Avatar, but you’re no pro-bender.” Bolin took up his position besides the stack of earth discs again. “Lemme see that combo one more time.”

“So… pro-bending, huh?” said Korra experimentally to Pema the next day.

“Airbending, Korra. You’re learning airbending, not pro-bending.”

Korra tried to airbend. Nothing happened. “Well, it doesn’t seem to be working. Why can’t I learn pro-bending?”

“You’re tense,” said Pema. “And you’re distracted. Allow your body to relax, and open yourself up to the energy around you. Have patience. Air cannot be controlled, it must be a partnership between you and the element.”

“That’s not what I asked,” said Korra, bouncing from side to side on her feet like she had been doing with Bolin. She raised twin chunks of earth from the ground, sent them flying in quick bursts. “Pop-pop!”

Pema sighed. “Korra, I don’t think pro-bending would be helpful. It’s already distracting you from your training just by listening to it on the radio.”

Korra looked at Pema guiltily. Just on the radio, right. She adopted an airbending form, wondering if Mako and Bolin were practicing for the match tonight. Maybe Bolin would let her practice pro-bending moves some more after the match.   
“Look, it’s a matter of perspective,” Pema was saying. “You need to _think_ like an airbender. You’re thinking like Korra. Don’t brute force the problem, find another way around it.”

“How am I supposed to stop thinking like Korra when I _am_ Korra?”

Pema put a hand to her eyes in exasperation. “Well, yes, but-”

“A message for Councilwoman Pema!” an air acolyte called. Pema rose and conferred with the acolyte.

“I have to go, Korra,” Pema said. “Jinora can help you for the rest of the day.”

Jinora sat on Korra’s back as Korra did pushups, reading a book. They had given up on airbending.

“Jinora, why do _you_ think I can’t airbend?”

Jinora shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Korra started doing one-arm pushups. “Did you ever have a problem with airbending? Like, you couldn’t, blow air or whatever?”

“Nope,” said Jinora.

Korra switched arms. “Am I the _only_ airbender who can’t airbend?”

“Probably,” said Jinora. She paused. “Well, actually, my mom did tell me this story once. It was like there was this airbender who was a great airbender, and she was really good at it as a kid. But everyone started pressuring her to become an airbending master, because she was getting older and she hadn’t done it yet. And she started thinking so much about her airbending that suddenly what had come naturally to her her whole life didn’t anymore, and she couldn’t airbend.”

“What?” said Korra. She switched arms. “Like, she forgot how?”

“I don’t know. She couldn’t do it anymore. Maybe it was like, a mental thing.”

“So?” said Korra.

“So what?” said Jinora.

“So, was that it?”

“Oh yeah. No. She like, figured out that it was everyone’s expectations that were the problem, and she had to learn to stand up for herself. I think she meditated about it or something. Then when she started believing in herself again, she was able to do airbending again. But it was always harder than it had been when she was a kid.”

“Huh,” said Korra. She switched arms. “Your mom didn’t tell me that story.”

“My mom thought I would have issues,” said Jinora. “’Cause of Aang, or whatever. And us being the only airbenders. But I don’t care. It’s not like I knew him.”

“Yeah,” said Korra. “It’s not like I know him, either.”

That night, Korra proudly showed the ticket Bolin had given her at the entrance to the pro-bending arena and was let in completely legally. She scurried up to meet Mako and Bolin at their box, but when she burst through the door in excitement, she was met by two downcast faces.

“What’s the problem?” she said. “Don’t think you’re gonna win? I think you’re gonna win! Wait, did I miss the match? Did you lose?”

“Hasook hasn’t shown up,” said Bolin. “If we don’t have a third player, we automatically forfeit the match.”

“I still don’t see what the problem is,” said Korra.

“Are you stupid?” said Mako. “We’ve lost our chance at the tournament!”

“But you have a third player right here,” said Korra. She pointed at herself and grinned. “I can totally jump in!”

Bolin and Mako looked at each other. “Isn’t that… cheating?” said Bolin. “You’re the Avatar.”

“It’s not cheating if I only do waterbending,” said Korra. She bounced up and down. “Come on! Let me join! I won’t let you down!”

“No.” said Mako. Korra deflated. “You aren’t a pro-bender. You’ll make a fool of us out there.”

“Come on, Mako, we need this championship!” said Bolin. “You can’t give up like that! I say let her join.”

A man poked his head in the door. “Fire Ferrets, time’s up. Are you in or not?”

“We’re in!” said Bolin quickly, cutting off Mako, who looked outraged.

“Yes!” said Korra. “Thank you! You won’t regret it!” She rushed to the locker and pulled out the third uniform. This was gonna be a piece of cake.


End file.
